John was our fourth child. His siblings, Eddy, Tommy and Beverly are just as great, but God chose to let them stay with us for a while. We believe He had something important for John to do for Him.

John was born August 15, 1962, in Alpharetta, Georgia. He was the baby and was picked on by his brothers and cousins, so he got really tough. Even as a little boy he was kind of a loner. He would sit for hours with a fishing pole in his hands fishing in a swimming pool or even sitting on a bank with no water anywhere around. He drove around the world at least twice on a riding lawn mower. He played football and baseball, but never really enjoyed it as much as just walking in the woods. When he was still a little boy, he decided he wanted to be a play boy photographer (thanks to Uncle Walter who kept the magazines in a bathroom drawer). He adored his grandfather (Paw-Paw) and the feeling was mutual. He was 8 years old when he found his grandfather in the woods where he had died alone.

While catching balls with a cousin, David, who was about 10 years older than John, he showed him his finger bent about 90 degrees. David pulled it straight for him and he continued to catch the balls. The Doctor put a brace on it later that afternoon. John's cousin, Ian at about age three, named him Johnny Pow-Pow.

	Ian walked into the house while John was wearing his camouflage and rifle and he was startled by the gun. Johnny calmed him down and told him about the mounted deer on the wall. He said that the deer walked through the wall and got stuck. Ian looked for the other end of the deer for about a year. When gummy worms were the rage, John's niece, Shannon, loved them. John and his brothers put fishing worms in a bag and she and Ian tried to eat them.
I guess we saw John in the midst of this family and didn't realize how important a man he had become to other people. He once told us that Alpharetta wasn't like it used to be. He could spend all day in town and at the mall and not see a soul he knew and if he smiled and spoke to these people they ignored him. He went to find a place to feel at home. He found it in Manchester.
	He loved it there because he liked the small town atmosphere and friendly people. He had hunted several times in the west and mid west and made long term friends there, but Manchester or Chalyebeate Springs, Georgia, became his new home. John would ride down the road and see someone and stop and talk and that's how he met his best friend Roy Mitchell. He considered the Mitchell family and neighbors his Chalyebeate Springs family. Perhaps the note we received explains their respect for him --
	Memories When he would drive by always waving and smiling he would sometimes stop and talk....... Always helping everyone - The Saturday morning he paddled around the lake for hours - fishing and throwing the fish back .... When asked "Hey, John you got a new boat" He said "no," some fool left his unlocked. The day he tried to help lay a water line - even with his arm all bandaged up. The pieceof furniture he moved for Vickie when he saw her trying to load it in her car. Our yearly meeting with everyone. Feeding the baby twins & Mother Deer in his yard. The night he saved the kitten a bob cat was after. I could go on forever - he touched our lives in such a loving way. We all loved him. He was our family."
We haven't even begun to tell you about our son John, so if you feel brave and want to know about him and have hours and days to spare, give us a call. In a few years we kind of look forward to seeing his smiling face and hearing him say, "Hi, I've been waiting for you." Howard & Elsie, the parents of This special man and 3 other equally Special People Back to Old Milton County History and Genealogy Page Copyright 2007-2009 by Elsie Knight